Complete With Ocean Views
by AnonOrange-FFA
Summary: Nate's tired, and he's planning for some big changes in his life. But, like always, he needs the help and support of his sister.


He was tired. It was an unfamiliar feeling for the boy who so often went through life with boundless energy. He didn't even know if tired was a strong enough word to describe his current state. He was exhausted. Although, he felt like he'd earned the right to be exhausted. It had been a long year.

He could faintly hear someone calling his name but he didn't care. Everything was perfect. He'd paddled a good hundred meters out from Humilau beach, out into the calm waters where he could be alone. It was just him, his surfboard, and the late Spring sun to keep him warm.

He groaned out load when he felt the waves pick up. He forced himself to sit up and straddled the board, finally opening his eyes; they took a while to adjust to the light even from behind his sunglasses. He groaned again when he noticed that the water was still perfectly still.

Rosa was sitting on her own surfboard, just off to his left.

"Why are you even here?"

"Marlon says you've been out here for an hour."

"Yeah and?"

"I came out to check you weren't dead."

"I'm not dead."

"I can see that."

"So why are you still here?"

"Why are you?"

Their conversation couldn't have lasted more than ten seconds as they each shot off their quips faster than most people thought possible.

"I dunno," he shrugged, giving her the vaguest answer that came to mind.

"Seriously don't even try to pull that shit with me. What's up?"

"I'm just, I dunno, tired. I guess."

"You know that if you fall asleep in the ocean there's a pretty good chance you'll drown, right?"

"Not that kind of tired. Just don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I'm staying here probably forever. You can stay if you shut up once in a while."

"Yeah, I can't promise you that."

"Then go away."

"Are you coming home this weekend?"

"Maybe," Nate shrugged. He lay back down on his board, raising an arm to block the sun from his eyes; he figured it was the least he could do, keeping his eyes open until their conversation was done. "Why?"

"Because Mom wants to clean your room if you are. She won't bother if you're just going to be out here the whole time."

"Have you seen all this?"

Nate moved the hand from his eyes long enough to gesture to the open ocean. Rosa didn't bother with answering him, simply responding with a slightly raised eyebrow. She had been there earlier in the year, a few times, and had been back to Humilau every other weekend during the summer. They had been there on holidays as children, almost every year. She was as familiar with the weather, the scenery, the ocean, as he was.

"You're not gonna leave without an answer, are you?" Nate sighed.

"Nope."

"I'll be there on Saturday. For lunch."

"That's it?"

"You wanted an answer!"

"So I gave you one!" Nate sat up so fast he almost tipped the surfboard over. He scowled at her for a moment before he remembered that he wanted her on his side. He always wanted her on his side, but this time he needed her to be.

"Jeez, what's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"So nothing made you decide to live on a surfboard in the middle of the ocean for the rest of your life?" Rosa asked, shifting her weight to keep balanced as the waves picked up, ever so slightly.

"I meant Humilau, not the ocean."

"What?"

"I think I want to stay here," Nate said off-handedly. "There's a small house for sale, and between what I saved up, and League winnings, I think I can afford it."

"Good luck getting Mom on your side," Rosa scoffed. "How many times has she called you this week?"

"Twelve."

"Seriously?"

"I know. I was thinking of not telling her until after I bought it."

"So you're actually gonna do it?"

"Yeah, I think. I mean, I'm not exactly short on cash and the World Tournament is coming up again in a few months, I'll be able to get my savings back up there."

"Why here though?"

"Because I can live literally on the water. Like, the house is over the ocean. Well, that and seriously, Mom's called me twelve times and it's only Tuesday."

"What does she talk to you about?"

"This morning she was talking about something that happened at the school."

"Flamethrower through the roof again?"

"Nah, Cheren flipped his shit at some kid."

"Probably another Flamethrower through something."

"Yeah, maybe. But still," Rosa said, shrugging.

"Want to see it?"

"See what?"

"The house."

"...sure?"

"Come on," Nate said. He lay down on the board again, face down this time, and started paddling back towards the shore. Beside him, Rosa did the same, but not before taking a moment to splash him in the face. He retaliated, and she returned the favour with a second, larger splash; he ignored her. She tried again, but Nate reached over and shoved her off the board. She fell into the ocean with a shriek, giving him enough time to get a head start back to shore.

XXXXX

Nate ripped the velcro leg rope from his ankle and lifted his surfboard up onto the boardwalk. He lifted himself up beside it, peeled his wetsuit down to his waist, and sat with his feet hanging over the edge of the jetty; Rosa was still a few meters away.

"You really shouldn't have done that," she said with a pout, unstrapping her own board. It didn't take her long to put it up beside Nate's, but when she moved to pull herself out of the water, he just pushed her back in again. "I will _murder_ you while you sleep!"

He broke into laughter when her shouting became shrill, ignoring the onslaught of death threats she shot at him. He stood up and helped her out of the water, unable to hold back a snort at her look of disapproval.

"Come on," he said, still snickering.

"Where is it?"

"Here," Nate said.

"What, this one?" Rosa asked, gesturing to the small house they were standing by.

"Yeah."

"Oh, shit, you bought it already, didn't you?"

"Kind of," he said, almost sheepishly.

"How do you kind of buy a house?"

"You get the papers but need someone to witness them for you?"

"Mom'll kill me."

"Hey, I won't tell her if you don't."

"Why can't you just do things the easy way?"

"You can stay over whenever you like?"

"You think that'll get me on your side?" Rosa quipped, raising the corner of an eyebrow.

"I have food at the Centre?"

"Is that where the papers are?"

"Maybe."

"Come on," she sighed. "But if you so much as even look at me when you're telling her about this, I swe –"

"You're my favourite sister, you know," Nate said, grinning as he shoved his arms back into the sleeves of his wetsuit.

"Everyone else is lucky you're not their brother," Rosa muttered, pushing Nate off the dock and back into the open oceans of Humilau.


End file.
